What a Week!

It's been one full week now and things are taking shape. Classes are coming along and sounding good, they are working so hard and I'm hoping we can pull it all together, but I do have to keep reminding myself that it's the process they're going through that's important., not the end product, although I can't help wanting it to go well for their sake. Jamie's starting to lose her voice so we're making her rest it as much as possible. Hopefully the weekend will do her well. Can't lose her now!!

However, besides the joy of hearing the children sing, I had two very memorable moments today.
The first at mass at the St.Leo Chapel with Fr. McCall when he acknowledged Jamie and I, but he acknowledged us as missionaries and disciples of Christ to travel such a distance and volunter our time to help. We were applauded by all in attendance. What an honor, but so undeserving, as the true missionaries are Fr.McCall, Fr. Joe and others like them that have given their whole lives to serving others. We are just a small piece, but happy to add what we can.
On a side note, as we left mass, one of the elder women got on the back of a motor scooter side saddle, while a toddler sat in front of the driver-what a sight. I kept watching as they left and nobody fell off. Life is certainly different here.

The other memorable moment was attending the birthday party of Angelica, one of the members of the board of the creche - the center for the children. She had a gathering of friends and family, wonderful food and homemade birthday cake. She brought me in to see her husband, who had a stroke 2 years ago and is now essentially bedriden and in a semi-vegatative state. He was in his bed, feeding tube in place, but impecably cared for, clean, positioned to avoid bedsores. As best I could tell from my understanding of her Portuguese, she cares for him herself, he is all of 60 years but just a thin shell of a man. She had his bed turned towards an open window out to the patio so that he could be part of the festivities. My heart broke for her. What impressed me most was her strength and the will to keep him at home, so well cared for, rather than placing him in a nursing home. My heart and prayers go out to Angelica. Please keep her in your prayers as well.

What a day, what a week...